Release Notes for 2.6.1 (20th Oct 1998)
=======================
This release is a minor update to 2.6.0 (released 14th Oct 1998).
The previous major release is 2.5.0 (10th Mar 1998).
Source code and binary distributions are available from our Web pages:
http://www.orl.co.uk/omniORB/omniORB.html
Changes since 2.6.0
-------------------
1. Support for Alpha NT 4.0 added.
2. Two Bug fixes to omniidl2
Bug no. 34 and 35 are fixed. Details can be found on:
http://www.orl.co.uk/omniORB/omniORBbug.html
Changes since 2.5.0
-------------------
1. IDL stubs must be regenerated with the new IDL compiler to be
compatible with the runtime library.
The current shared runtime library versions are:
On various unices:
libomniORB2.so ---> libomniORB2.so.6 --> libomniORB2.so.6.0
On IBM AIX
libomniORB26.a
libomniLC2.a
On Windows NT/95, the omniORB2 runtime DLLs for this version are:
libomniORB260_rt.dll
libomniORB260_rt.lib
libomniLC22_rt.dll
libomniLC22_rt.lib
Make sure you update your Visual Studio to pick up the right library.
2. Stub enhancements:
a) With MSVC++ and DEC C++ v6.0, C++ namespace is used to represent
IDL module.
b) With MSVC++ and DEC C++ v6.0, C++ bool type is used to represent
IDL boolean. If you are using some libraries that have #define
bool, it is best to disable this feature by passing
-DNo_Cplusplus_Bool to the C++ compiler.
c) Reopen IDL modules is allowed by default when the IDL compiler is
compiled on MSVC++ and DEC C++ v6.0. It is not allowed by default
on other platforms.
The -m flag can be given to omniidl2 to explicitly enable reopen
module on all platforms. However, the stub code will not compile
unless namespace is used to represent module.
d) Dependency on iostream.h is removed from the stubs (and the runtime).
This will allow omniORB2 to work with applications that use either
STL iostream or the traditional iostream.
e) Stubs are ready to be compiled into Windows DLLs.
See the comment in CORBA_sysdep.h
3. Support of the DynAny interface.
DynAny interface, except the DynFixed interface, is fully supported.
A new chapter on the use of this interface has been added to
the omniORB2 user guide.
4. omnithread library update
Updated omnithread library so that native threads can call any operations
in the library and vice versa. Previously, native threads cannot call
omni_thread::join and on nt cannot wait on omni_condition.
The semantics of omni_thread::self() is clarified. If the calling thread
is not the main thread and is not created using the omnithread library,
omni_thread::self() returns 0.
5. Added new flag -t to omniidl2 to enable the generation
of tie implementation template
The example src/examples/echo/eg3_tieimpl.cc shows how the template
can be used. More description can be found in chapter 2 of the omniORB2
user guide
6. JavaIDL compatible bootstrapping
It is now possible to use the same mechanism to tell the ORB the root
context of the Naming Service. Previously, this is done via an IOR
string in the configuration file omniORB.cfg or the win32 registry.
Now, all omniORB2 servers, omniNames included, can respond to a query
to the special object with object key 'INIT' and the following interface
module CORBA {
interface InitialReferences {
Object get(in ORB::ObjectId id);
ORB::ObjectIdList list();
};
};
To tell an omniORB2 client to use this feature:
1. Use the command line options:
-ORBInitialHost <hostname (string)>
and -ORBInitialPort <port (short 1-65535)>
-ORBInitialPort is optionally. If not specified, port 900 will be
used.
2. Added the following into omniORB.cfg or win32 registry:
ORBInitialHost <hostname (string)>
ORBInitialPort <port (short 1-65535)>
So a simpler way to set up omniNames is:
1. Start omniNames the first time on host wobble:
$ omniNames -start <port (e.g. 1234)>
2. Add to omniORB.cfg the following lines:
ORBInitialHost wobble
ORBInitialPort 1234
or
Just invoke a client with -ORBInitialHost wobble -ORBInitialPort 1234
3. To configure JavaIDL clients to use omniNames, use the JavaIDL
command line options: -ORBInitialHost, -ORBInitialPort.
7. New runtime configuration variable:
omniORB::maxTcpConnectionPerServer
This variable controls the maximum number of tcp connections to open to
a server. Previously this variable is hard-coded to 5.
Change this variable by assignment. Make sure that this is done before
ORB_init because the variable is read only once in ORB_init.
8. Bugs fixed:
The complete list of bugs fixed can be found in:
http://www.orl.co.uk/omniORB/omniORBbug.html
section omniORB_2.5.0 bugs and patches.
All the bugs listed have been fixed.
9. New platforms
Ports to SGI, Phar Lap ETS kernel, SCO OpenServer 5, Reliant Unix 5.43.
We cannot test these ports ourselves. However users have reported
success on using omniORB2 on these platforms.
The platform and compiler combinations that are known to work:
sun4_sosV_5.5 Solaris 2.5, Sunpro C++/gcc-2.7.2
sun4_sosV_5.6 Solaris 2.6, Sunpro C++/gcc-2.7.2
i586_linux_2.0 x86 Redhat linux 4.2, gcc-2.7.2
alpha_osf1_3.2 Digital Unix 3.2, DEC C++ v5.5
alpha_osf1_4.0 Digital Unix 4.0, DEC C++ v6.0
powerpc_aix_4.2 IBM AIX 4.2, IBM C Set++
hppa_hpux_10.20 HPUX 10.20, aC++ B3910B A.01.04
x86_nt_3.5 Windows NT 3.5, MS VC++ 5.0
x86_nt_4.0 Windows NT 4.0, MS VC++ 5.0
x86_win95 Windows 95, MS VC++ 5.0
i586_linux_2.0_glibc x86 Redhat linux 5.1,egcs-1.1b+binutils-2.9.1.0.14
powerpc_aix_4.2_egcs power PC AIX 4.2, egcs-1.0+eh_path
m68k_nextstep_3.3 NextStep 3.3, gcc-2.7.2
mips_sinux_5.43 Reliant UNIX from Siemens-Nixdorf (SNI)
mips_irix_6.2_n32 SGI Irix 6.2 - 32bit mode, SGI C++ compiler
x86_ets Phar Lap Realtime ETS-kernel/ MSVC++ 5.0
x86_sco5 SCO OpenServer 5/gcc-2.7.2
10. x86 Linux systems with glibc 2.0 library (e.g. Redhat 5.1)
omniORB2 is known to work with egcs-1.1b and binutils-2.9.1.0.14.
Choose the platform i586_linux_2.0_glibc. You may have to edit the
make variables CXX and CC in the file
$(top)/mk/platforms/i586_linux_2.0_glibc.mk
This compiler tool chain contains most bug fixes and seems to cope with
-O2 optimisation and shared library very well.
Therefore, the default optimisation on this platform is now -O2 and
omniORB2 runtime libraries are compiled as shared.
Warning: there may still be bugs in the compiler which will cause it
to generate the wrong code with -O2. If in doubt, remove
the optimisation flag (use this line in
dir.mk 'CXXDEBUGFLAGS =').
11. The omniORB2 user guide has been updated.
------------
Sai-Lai Lo
(s.lo@orl.co.uk)
